Dowa District Hospital survives closure

Dowa, Dowa District Hospital has survived anticipated closure due to poor condition of toilets and unavailability of water which has been a serious challenge to both patients and guardians for months.

Officials from the Medical Council of Malawi first visited the hospital on 25th July, 2017 following complaints from patients, guardians and people around the Dowa District that the hospital is operating without toilets, forcing users to relieve themselves in surrounding bushes.

The complaints forced the council to give a-14 day’s ultimatum to the hospital’s management to improve the conditions at the facility and that failing to do so would force the council to close down the hospital.

Dowa District Hospital’s management worked under panic to improve the conditions at the hospital within the given 14 days to meet the last day, which was Friday, 4thAugust, 2017 as a deadline.

When the Medical Council visited the hospital again to check on the condition improvements, it was fully satisfied to see the toilets which were blocked have been maintained and fit for use by both patients and guardians.

Speaking in an interview, Dowa District Health Officer (DHO) Dr. Peter Makoza said the hospital previously failed to maintain the broken toilets as well as coming up with new latrines in time because funding for maintenances came late and was very lower side than projected.

Dowa District Hospital is a referral facility serving a population of about 800,000 people.

Dowa District Hospital survives closure

Dowa, Dowa District Hospital has survived anticipated closure due to poor condition of toilets and unavailability of water which has been a serious challenge to both patients and guardians for months.

Officials from the Medical Council of Malawi first visited the hospital on 25th July, 2017 following complaints from patients, guardians and people around the Dowa District that the hospital is operating without toilets, forcing users to relieve themselves in surrounding bushes.

The complaints forced the council to give a-14 day’s ultimatum to the hospital’s management to improve the conditions at the facility and that failing to do so would force the council to close down the hospital.

Dowa District Hospital’s management worked under panic to improve the conditions at the hospital within the given 14 days to meet the last day, which was Friday, 4thAugust, 2017 as a deadline.

When the Medical Council visited the hospital again to check on the condition improvements, it was fully satisfied to see the toilets which were blocked have been maintained and fit for use by both patients and guardians.

Speaking in an interview, Dowa District Health Officer (DHO) Dr. Peter Makoza said the hospital previously failed to maintain the broken toilets as well as coming up with new latrines in time because funding for maintenances came late and was very lower side than projected.

Dowa District Hospital is a referral facility serving a population of about 800,000 people.